Ancestry or Land influence?

I know this is primarily a forum with US and Canadian members, and something that has interested me is whether you feel your Pagan path is directed and influenced more from your ancestral heritage or the land you live on?

My own path is primarily Roman: I live in an area of Scotland which was the last Roman border before the Picts of the North, but I have Viking and Celtic ancestry yet feel that this (ancestry) has less of an influence on me. And although it's fair to say that the Celts were there first, the imprint the Romans made, and the gods who travelled with them, have had more of an influence on the feel of the land than anything else before or since (IMO).

So for me it's probably the land which informs my beliefs more than ancestry, but I appreciate that it might be totally different in the US and Canada - hence my asking :)

yes to ancestry and not necessarily to land you live on - my mother's family is polish/german/jewish I feel no pulls to any of the gods from that culture other than interest as to who they are, how they fit in to the pantheon, my fathers family is Indian (native american) and irish/english I do feel pulls to both of those "paths" and lands.

I've always felt a particular affinity for certain cultures only to find they are my ancestry as well. But, I do have influences from others as well. But I don't feel particularly influenced by the land where I currently live. I feel like a fish out of water here in Florida.

Yes, I would say I am more influenced by my ancestral heritage and the land I live on. I am following the Norse Pagan path.. And I am born and raised in Norway with no other nationality in the mix (which I find slightly boring Lol) With viking ancestry. I felt more at home in Stavanger a city in the west of Norway, where most of my family lives, and I did for two years. and still feel a strong draw to go back. which is where there is alot of Norwegian viking history. Where Norway was gathered in to one united country after a significant battle in 870/80's Has even a significant landmark of it: http://www.stavanger.travel/vikings-history-stavanger-norway.htm For those who want to see.

If you only wanted answers from over the pond, excuse me for butting in hehe.

I am more influenced by the land that I am in. I was born in Australia and has lived in Japan and visited Britain, Europe and has lived in Boston, MA, Atlanta, GA and now Arkansas.

I am very affected by what is around me.

In Australia I walk out and smell the eucalytus leaves, hear the kookaburra laugh, feel the dry heat of the summer, and the not so defined seasons of this sunburnt country. I feel the oldness in the worn down mountains. I sense the Dreamtime just a step away.

In Japan I had a favorite set of temples up in the mountains and I could feel and smell the brisk air. I could feel the earth still stirring deep underneath and sense the movement of the plates deep deep down. I sense the ancestors and the spirits and the trees as well as the sharp slice of the blade.

In Britain I felt drawn to the old abbeys, churches and remains of stone walls feeling pathways of energy connecting places together feeling the old Gods echoing in the lanes and woods.

In Switzerland I felt the icy cold of the mountains slicing all to the bone.

In Venice I felt the water flowing and moving everything and everyone sinking gently.

In Boston, and in Salem I felt the faint echo of drums and the smell of pipe and woodsmoke, picking up an arrowhead I feel the moving from place to place.

A place echoes who has stayed there , in some instances for a long time there are echoes. It is like the land of each country I have visited has different layers of echoes of who has lived there .

In Australia you can feel where the Western Man has settled and tried to tame the land. Underneath this you can feel the Native Aboriginals flowing and wandering over the land leaving small marks but flowing with it and then there is an energy shift to the Dreamtime. Under all is the old old land of Australia which is dry and challenging and quite often desolate.

Britain feels like a beach with different waves flowing in and riding over the beach and overlaying the country. On the top you can feel the current inhabitants but deep underneath there flows painted people and yells and fires and spears.

My ancestors are from Britain and from Scotland and although I felt a sense of connection in some ways it was not a strong strong pull.

Japan was a country I was drawn to by its sharp flowing energy and its connectedness but also its borrowing of many different paths to meld what is there.

In America I feel the overlay once again of the inflow of other nations, yet underneath I feel and hear drums and smell fires and feel respect for the land.

I find my energy and flow is very much affected by the land that I am living on. My heritage is something I really have no input into , it is there, I have marked the earth I have visited by footprints and interactions and the land has interacted and marked me.

I am affected by the seasons and by the land that I am on more than any heritage I might have.

Yes I do have an unexplained hankering for large hand and a half axes and musical instruments and a strange fascination with ullean pipes However I also have aversion to haggis.

I am just now savoring the opportunity to look over some of the discussion topics in forum, and this one caught my eye.

I believe it depends on what your particular spiritual objective is... You see, there is no doubt that the geography of a place embodies astral, etheric, and magical reflections. And so if you are involved in say shamanic work, astral warriorship, or magic that involves elementals, Fae, or genii loci, then there are deep resonances that need to be established with the elements round-about. However for personal development, such as art, spell work, and spiritual aligning or enhancement, as well as healing practice, I believe it is essential to honor one's hereditary nature, which is ancient and atavistic. It invokes the power of DNA and molecular heritage.

As an example, when I am on a warrior mission astrally or etherically, there are often situations, variables, and entities that must be dealt with that in turn are highly geo-circumstantial. But yet my spiritual alignment is Hyperborean - Northern, and my paternal heritage is Irish (House O'Rourke). And so the imagery and techniques I use reflect that accordingly. Were I to say use astral forms and weaponry of Ashanti, or Native North American, I would be incongruent with myself, and thus highly in-effective.

I love the land. And nature. Anywhere I am, I can develop connections to the surrounding area. However, the only land to which I have ever felt tied, was the 8 acres my mother's parents owned, where my mom and most of her siblings grew up, and where I spent a lot of time growing up also. If I could somehow acquire a piece of those 8 acres, that would be awesome!! But currently they are not available for purchase, nor for inheritance.

Excepting my grandparents' land, the path to which I am drawn is more influenced by the fact that my mother's father was Welsh/Native American. I feel a strong pull towards Native American practice, but also to Celtic ways. At my teacher's suggestion, I am currently focusing primarily on the Celtic Wiccan tradition, and am browsing the mythologies and pantheons of both Ireland and Wales, for direction. On my father's side, my direct line is French, and it's possible that I could have had Celtic (Gallic) ancestry there too. And I have recently had suggestions of French influence on my path - such as the name Philippe. But the pull towards the British Isles Celtic traditions, and the Native American, is more pronounced. For me, it largely stems from my affinity for my mother's father's family and ancestry.

I have to say that for me I feel my heritage has played a HUGE role in where I lean as far as my path. Although I consider myself rather eclectic, I look to the Celtic Irish Pantheon the most and find my practice to be very green. By heritage I am Irish, Scottish, Spanish and German. I am very close with the Fae. So close that I sometimes think I was one at some point in my existence. Although I am a quarter of four different ancestries, I feel more pull to everything Celtic. I would love to explore my Spanish heritage someday. I know that my family was from Alicante, Spain which was considered part of Valencia back in the day. The place they are from is right on the coast and is beautiful. If I ever get to travel I want to visit Ireland and Spain first!

Neither, for me. My heritage and present location has little to do with the origins of my religion. I've had an affinity for the Greek Gods and the ancient cultures that worshiped them ever since I was a boy in school.

Heritage has certainly had a big role in my chosen path, however, when I first started taking it serious, it had less to do with heritage.

When it comes to the land, I put far more effort, and emphasis on dealing with ancestors, and landvaettr (land-wights) than deity. So the land plays a huge role in my spiritual path, while deity plays a smaller role. I have had many debates over whether North American landvaettr would be appropriate in the heithni religion, mostly with the 'folkish' variety. In the end my opinion is that the point to including the landvaettr is to be in harmony with your environment. So, it would be pointless to include Scandinavian landvaettr, as I would have to yell way too loud for them to hear me all the way over in Scandinavia, while ignoring the ones actually in my environment.

I would say that neither my current location nor heritage background have any major role in my path. However I do feel a connection with the earth and I feel it even more when I am in nature. I have been to every continent but Africa and Australia and the strongest place I felt a connection was in the deserts of the middle east and that is 1,000 of miles from my home. As far as heritage well I got a lot of family that practice Santeria in Puerto Rico. The slaves that got taken to Puerto Rico blended it with the Catholic Faith the Spanish brought with them. So I guess in short the answer for me is no.

Honestly neither for me. I have a tendency to lean towards the Celtic ways and have been drawn to their culture and land. I live in the US and I am of German and Polish decent (that I know of, Want to do a family history soon).

I'd have to say both. I honor my ancestors with a shrine and by taking certain customs from their cultures. My path, though a Kitchen Witch, is heavily influenced by my Cherokee, Choctaw, and Shawnee heritages. Yet for the handfasting I also incorporated the Jumping of the Broom custom to honor my African ancestors. I'm also of French, German, Scandanavian descent, and more recently I've learned also of Scottish and Italian.

As far as the land goes, I've always felt a deep, primal connection to the Earth, as many have. Whenever in West Virginia, I can feel and almost hear the mountains calling me. I'm of Appalachian descent, of a people known as Melungeon (Native American, African, French), thus I can hear my Ancestors calling me back. Although I've lived in Ohio most of my life, I want to "return", in a sense, to my ancestral home.

As far as "local" there are a few spots in Ohio that draw me, particularilly down to Southern Ohio, to Hocking Hills. If I can't move to West Virginia, Hocking Hills is the next place I'd want to live. I honestly believe that I was born in the wrong area, that I was meant to live in Kentucky or West Virginia. But the journey getting there is just as rewarding. ~)O(~

I think I have to join Koleckai and VeiledOne in the mutt gang... heritage: English, Irish, Scottish, Swiss and possibly French.

I am a solitary eclectic - and I find that where I am influences my practice immensely. I loved forestmuse's description of Australia - which is my home, and I have also travelled a little in the US, the UK, China, Singapore and Bali - each land has its own feel.

I was fortunate enough to be published in a modest devotional to the Horned God - and in my essay, I basically explored my relationship with Cernunnos as I perceive Him here, in Australia... truthfully, the particular essay continues to develop since publication - might even end up as a chapter one day! lol!

The location and heritage of those I love also creates a resonance for me - a man I loved lived and died in New Orleans, and since his death, I have certainly felt the presence of certain loa that I was only aware of when I was in New Orleans. My current partner is Egyptian, and through his heritage and the gift from his father of a Sufi ring, I certainly experience connections now to the Mysterious Ones of those lands that I never had before.

I think there is no hard and fast - the Mysterious Ones will talk with those they wish, regardless of where and who you are. And to honour the land you live in as well as those from whom you come, just makes sense to me!

My path isn't necessarily affected by the land. I am another Mutt, having Irish, German, English, Cherokee and possibly some scottish. I am not well traveled but there are places out there that do call to me and I would love to go see eventually. The land, definitely affects what I do, tho it doesn't affect the way I worship. I live close to a large indian mound that is a serpent solar calendar. I feel that I am on the same energy line, or at least one of the lines that run th that site. I hear the drums, and can feel the energy of the mound builders walking the track.

Essentially we are all mutts, lol. I feel I am influenced by both. My heritage from what I know is Puerto Rican, Spaniard, Irish, Scottish and Cherokee. I feel pulled in many different paths but I feel most connected to native americans and Tainos. My heart longs for the country and the Island although I am at home in my City that I live in Chicago. *shrugs* I'm a complicated owl, lol. ;)

I must admit that the environmental impact of growing up in Chicago Illinois had much more inpact on my choice of spiritual path than my ancestry. I such a large city you quickly learn that exaggerating any kind of ethnicity can get you involved in conflicts that are hard to escape in a city of nine million residents. You also learn to be quick and adapt to the needs of others regardless of theier race, creed or religion.

Naturally this put me on an ecclectic path that often required personal adaptations to accomodate as may perspectives as possible without prejudice of exclusion. The only effect my prussian ancestry had is the one that demanded rigor and perservereance in any adaptation. Consequently I find myself in personal disaggrement even with my own germanic heritage which should have made me more Nordic than Wiccan and yet I connect more easily with magical disciplines in any form than I do with their ethic origin.

I have always told my children that given the chance to go Scotland I would not come back and since I am of both Scottish and Irish decent then I have to say heritage for me. I also have some Native American in me explains why I have so many animals lol

This is a very interesting topic to me. I can only tell if from my own subjective viewpoint, of course.

I grew up in Colorado. Not only am I adopted and don't really know my exact (but obviously European) ethnicity, my adoptive parents were pretty mixed up Euro-blood who didn't particularly align themselves with a country or culture.

By the time I was 8 or 10 I was obsessed with the British Isles, particularly Scotand. By the time I was 20 that hadn't really gone away at all, and in my 20s I moved to Scotland. It was also around that time that my Pagan beliefs begin to form themselves.

I felt intensely connected to the land there, and I think that is what really drew me in the first place. I also felt much more at home with the culture (the modern culture) than I ever have anywhere else. My career (Scottish traditional music) and my hobby (spending time in the countryside with my horses) were both also bound up with the land, with nature, and with culture and traditions.

Like any fish, by the time I'd been there 25 years, I no longer thought about water. I took the land, the culture, etc. sort of for granted. I did love it with aware appreciation, on one level, but I didn't realise how it would feel if I was somewhere else. I guess I thought that I had assimilated it as much as it had assimilated me, and that I would feel just as good anywhere.

I decided to move back to Colorado. I have spent the past four years feeling lost and sad and as if my guts had been ripped out. I feel very little connection to the land, in spite of trying to, and although I feel in contact with the deities I know and love, I have not even been able to raise an alter here. WTF? is about all I can say.

I'm new to this site ..I've been poking around .. getting familiar with features.. this topic caught my eye.. Thought I may have a interesting perspective on this.. as I was adopted too.. We sure have something in Common Kris..I knew little about my Bio Ancestry.. And my adoptive parents/family did not pratice any traditional ancestral traditions.. just typical American holiday stuff.. From the time I was old enough to comprehend what adoption is I was told I was adopted.. So all I had to rely on was my gut instincts what I felt drawn to.. this all came from within .. I enjoyed movies & Books about Ancient Greece.. English & Celtic type historical movies some Viking but there were not many movies or things I ran across related .. I often felt a strong pull to the British Isles.. and Celtic type spiritual things .. I liked being outside taking long walks in the countryside roads.. always felt drawn to green areas.. I also lived in an area in upstate NY that got a lot of snow..but didn't mind I liked to ice skate.. sled and was in ski club.. Later in life in my 40's I discovered the identity of my birth parents.. it turned out my mother is half Norwegian and my father was a family member on my adoptive fathers side.. which is of English, close to Wales & German Ancestry.. I have found I have a combination of both..My ancestry & land..Influence.. I have a hard time with hot weather.. I grew up in hot summers in NYS all my life.. but still hate it.. I can take the cold over the hot any day.. And I need to be near green countryside to feel the best..

While I do consider my adopted family to be part of my ahcestral heritage, either blood or perhaps even a past life must be playing a part for me. For the most part, I fit easily into life in Scotland, and things seemed to fall into place for me there in a way that they don't seem to over here. It's very odd, but I don't really know why it works that way for me.

Just had the after thought.. That I should share some advise I recently was told from .. A friend of mine that happens to be a medium.. felt it is along the same vein as this subject..she pointed out to me that .. .. Even though I do now know my ancestors.. and have put time and energy in researching / getting in touch with this fairly new discovery of what makes me ..I will not find all the answers of learning who I am in my ancestry.. ..that I need to get in touch with my spirit....following.. learning .. listening .. my inner voice intuitiveness ... meditation..going with what I naturally feel drawn to..going with what feels right to me..

@ Kris to me I believe you have done this by following your feelings and making the move to Scotland.. and knowing it is so right for you..

I was told by my friend that I have lived many lives.... and that a persons spirit in pasts lives is the same spirit.. despite the makeup of the DNA of the physical body it is placed in ... However in growing up and not knowing my ancestry.. I did feel and still do feel a strong pull to Celtic related things .. I was told my spirit was mostly Celtic..despite my DNA being half Norwegian... I believe the influence of land and ancestry which are important... in the physical realm.. has more to do with the mind.